Pressure storage tank



y 15, 1945- c. 1.. MARNER 2,376,263

' PRESSURE STORAGE TANK 'Filed March 19, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

y 1945. c. 1.. MARNER 2,376,263

PRESSURE STORAGE TANK File d March 19, 1943 r 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 64 M 'INVENTOR.

5:; x N Charles LMar-rzer: I

Patented May 15, 1945 7 'rlitnssinnns'roneon new; I Ghafles L. Mamet, East oil-wagons; ass nmto Grtwer Tank -& Mtg. Inc; Ind., a corporationof Delaware Omens Application Ma n e, 194a seal. 479.6318 s claims. 401. 220-18) The invention relates to improvements in storage tanks and has reference more particularly to closed storage tanks tor storing volatile liquids I der pressure .to thereby prevent the-escape oi vapors from said liquids. v an object of the invention is to provide .a storage tank tor holding liquids under pressure.

Another ohjectof the i-nvention is toproyide a container for volatilelliquids having an approximately spherical contourwith adequate'recurved plates welded to each other to form a closed container. 'Ihe conta n r may be described as including two or more spherical, sections comprising the portion of the tank above ground'leyel and 'Whiclr-r is 'prorided with a dished bfi tom member having location below v erourni level. Each tankis a solid of a revolution about a vertical axis. One of the outstandinter-cine for strengthening the tank a ainst bursting or collapsingpressures induced hy the vapors or air in the tank,

Anotherobject is to provide alpressnre storage tankhaving two or more sphericalsections-iorme ing the upper portion of thetank, and a dished .ing advantagesof the present shape i to securemaximum fiap city .in'rela/tion to height and to also-secure a closed tank which will adequately withstand internal vapor pressures such as are encountered inthe storing of gasoline and other member f -orm-i-ng the bottom with adjacentsecv tions being joined to each other in substantially horizontal planes and wherein each spherical sec tion has a different radius of curyature.

A further object is to provide an approximately spherical storage tank having sections of difierent radii superposed to form the portion of the tank more fully described and particularly Pointedont in the specification, drawings and claims ape pended hereto. p w v, r In the drawings-whichillustrate an embodiabove ground level with reinforcing means 4 volatile liquids; v

In re 1 a closed pressure tank 10 is illustrated approximately spherical shape and comprising a p urality of curved plates H and l2, curved in 'both a longitudinal and transverse direction.,[ 'lhe plates ll and 12 are suitably welded t'o other toiorm theportion of the alcove the ground level. metal plates 13 of proper curvature are assembled to term the bottomportion It or the tank. which is was be w swu dier mia s der; i dicated in its entirety by numeral I5, is located atthe Junction of the bottom portion! with tank and which girder functions to strengthen the. tank at said .Junction so that the same 'eiiectively resist bursting and collapsing tend 'encies resulting from the load of the liquid in the tank and the vapor pressure above said liquid which at times may be less than atxno'spheric.

ment of the invention and wherein like reierencc characters are used .to designate likeparts- Figure 1 is avertical sectional View of a pressure tank constructed in accordance with the present invention;

v Figure 2 is an enlarged eleyational view of the bottom port-ion of the tank of Figure 1 showing the exterior girder construction at the ground level; A l H Figure .3 is a fragmentary sectional view, more particularly showing the Egirder construction;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view show-'- the interior ;girder for strengthening the t v l Figure 5 is 7 an elenationa-l. view with parts shown in .section .to more 'cle'arlyillustrate a modification coming within the invention; and

, Figure 6is another elevational view with par-ts shown in section toi'illustrat'e a further modifica tionof pressure tank comhig w'i'thin the invention.

' Referring to' the drawings; the pre's'sure'tanks, disclosed essentially consist of a plurality of The girder'lconsists of a ring or circular memherfiformed by the metal strip wand a substantially 'horizontal'. ring member for-med hygthe metal plate .17 (having a welded connection with strip 16 and with the tank at the J'unction'of the bottomvthe'rewith. The curved platesjz of the lower section [of the tank are suitably secured to the plate'sflB -forming the bottom portion by the weldmglJB, bestshown in Figure 3.. At intervalsaronnd the circumference of the girder (I 4 there'lis provided jb'rackets or lgusset plates J9 M11011 .lfunctionto' join the fgirder to the tank. The gusset plates can be located at the joint between the bottom curved plates 1 2 orsaid ,gusset plates may be located substantia y centrally of the same. Alsolreierring .tofliigur e 3, it will be seen th t ach gusset plate is suitahly welded to the girder hy the Welds 2-0..

'The tank above the groundlevel consists of .two spherical sections, a top. section indicated by numeral 2! and a bottom section indicated by nus rnerazl rz. The top section has the contour of a perfect-sphere. ln'otherwords; the plates 11,

the tank has an exterior angle of less than one- To adequately hundred and eighty degrees. A strengthen this junction between the upper and lower sections 2| and 22, comprising the portion of the tank above ground level, the same is m; vided with an interior girder 23. Said girder is formed by a flat ring, being suitably welded around its periphery to the curved plates l2 which are also welded to plates ll.

The bottom of the tank, as shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, comprises the dished member'l3 which has a radius of curvature indicated by RC. In accordance with the invention, the radius RC is proportioned so as to provide thetank with a I relatively large bottom. It is preferred that the dished bottom have a diameter smaller than twice RB which is the diameter of the lower spherical section. V

The curved plates ll, l2 and I3 are generally quadrilateral in shape and said plates are welded to form the complete tank by any conventional welding method, As shown, the tank mayrest directly on the ground or on any other suitable sup rt, and since the bottom of the tank is dished the ground or other support is recessed to receive the same. Considering the portion of the tank above the ground level, the same comprises two spherical sections formed by the plates II and [2 respectively. The upper section 2| is' 4| and which has a radius of curvature RA. This top section is in superposed relation with the lower section 41 formed by the curved plates 42 and which is also a part of a sphere. Whereas, in Figure l the lower section had a larger radius than the top section to form an angle of less than 180 degrees at the intersection of said radii, this modified tank of Figure 5 is substantially the reverse... In other words, the radii RA and RB are more nearly equaland the junction where they intersect provides an exterior angle greater than 180 degrees. This junction of plates 4| with plates 42 is adequately reinforced by the interior horizontally disposed girder identified by numer- Said girder includes the ring or circular member 50, the horizontal member 5|, and the approximately semi-spherical in shape and. the.

lower section 22 is also a part ofa sphere. The two sections are in superposed relation and the radius of curvature of each section, as shownin Figure 1, is different, with RB being greater than The bottom girder takes the horizontal component of the forces from the shell and bottom plates, and since the girder remains in a true circular horizontal form it eliminates any uplift. Inthe modification of the invention shown in Figure 5 the tank is the same as Figure 1 with the exception that the upper and lower sections unite in a, manner to form an exterior angle greater than 180 degrees. The tank is designated inits entirety by numeral 40, having an approximately' spherical shape and comprising a plurality of curved plates 4| and 42 suitably welded to each other to form the portion of the tank above ground level. Metal plates'43, also having a curved formation, are assembled to form the bottom portion 44 of the tank, which is located below the ground level, At said ground level the circular girder 45 functions to securely unite the dished bottom member to the upper portion of the tank. Also said girder strengthens the tank and reinforces the same in the vicinity of the junction of the upper portion with the base against bursting, collapsing and uplifting pressures due to the liquid contained in the tank and the vapors generated thereby. The construction of the girder 45 is substantially as shown in connection with the tank of Figure 1. N

Numeral 46 indicates the top semi-spherical section .of the tank formed, by the curyed plates gusset plates 52. These three parts are assembled to form an interior girder in much the same manner as they are-employed in Figure 1 to form an exterior girder at the ground lever.

The dished bottom part 44 of the tank shown in Figure 5 has a radius of curvature indicated by RC and is relatively large to provide the tank with a bottom oflarge diameter. This modified form of tank is also a solid of revolution about a central vertical axis and therefore any vertical cross section on this center line will have the same contour and the same area as shown in Figure 5. The sections are disposed one on the other and in accordance with the invention the center of the top semi-spherical section does not coincide with the center of the lower spherical section.

Figure 6 discloses a further modification of the present invention wherein tank 66 is formed of 'curvedplates 6|, 62 and 63. The plates 6i form the upper spherical section of the tank indicated by numeral 66 and which has superposedrelation with the lower section 61 formed by the plates 62. At the ground level the tank is suitably reinforced by the girder which is located exteriorly of the tank at the junction of'the upper portion thereof with the dished bottom member 64. Also the junction of the top section with the bottom section is reinforced in a manner-as above described by means of the girder 68 having gusset plates 69 and this junction ischaracterized by an exterior angle of less th'an'lBO degrees.

In this modification the upper spherical section instead of having one radius of curvature is characterized by a plurality of different radii. More particularly, certain plates Bl of this section have-a radius of curvature in a longitudinal direction as indicated by RA and other of said plates have a longitudinal curvature conforming to the shorter radius RD. The lower spherical section of this tank 61 has certain of the plates 62 curved to conform to the radius RE, whereas, other plates have a longitudinal curvature conforming to a shorter radius RE. 1 The exterior surfaces of the sections can be constructed using two or more radii.

The dished bottoinmernber 64 provides a base of relatively large diameter. Theradius of ourvature'RC for said bottom member is proportioned to make the diameter of the bottom portion less than the diameter of the lower spherical section. This design has the advantage that pressure tanks for storing volatile liquids can be made of largerdiameter for the samejheight with resulting increase in capacity.

' In the .closed. pressure tanks of the invention the topjsectionis characterized by having a shape which ,isflsubstanti'ally. semi-spherical. This applies to the top section 2| in Figure l, 46 in Figure 5, and 66 in Figure 6. The lower section,

namely, :22, 47 and 6] conforms to a part of a sphere but the same is not semi-spherical. Actually the lower section of each tank is a .segment of a sphere and in accordance with the invention the center of I this spherical segment does not coincide with the center of the semispherical top section. Since the centers of the two sections do not coincide the spherical contour of the tank above the dished bottom portion is interrupted at the junction of these sections with each other. Thus, it will be seen that in Figures 1 and 6 an exteriorangle of less than 180 degrees is formed at the junction of the sections, while in Figure an exterior angle greater than I80 degrees is formed at the junction of sections 46 and 41.

' the upper portion including a top semi-spherical The invention is not to be limited to or by I Q details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings, as

, various other forms of the device will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

} container including an approximately spherical portion and a dished bottom portion, said first mentioned portion including atop semi-spherical section and a lower section conforming 'to a median segment of a sphere the center of which does not coincide with the center of the top section, the junction of said sections with each other lying in -a horizontal plane and said -dished bottom portion also being joined to the ofthe spherical sections with each other forming an exterior angle of less than 180- degrees whereby the spherical contour of the tank above the dished bottom is interrupted at said junction.

2 A pressure container in the shape of a solid of revolution about a central vertical axis, said container comprising an approximately spherical upper portion and a dished bottom portion with both said portions being constructed of a plurality of metal plateswelded together,

section and a lower section conforming to a median segment of a sphere, the junctions of said sections with each other lying in a horizontal plane and said dished bottom portion alsobeing joined to the upper portion in a horizontal plane spaced from the first mentioned plane, a girder at the junction of said sections, the spherical contour of the upper portion above the dished bottom being interrupted at the junction of the spherical sections with each other, and the diameter of the dished bottom portion being less than twice the radius of curvature of the lower section. 3. A pressure container in the shape, of a solid of revolution about a central vertical axis, said container comprising an approximately spherical upper portion having location above ground level and a dished bottom portion below ground level, both of said portions being constructed of a plurality of metal plates welded together, the upper portion including a top semi-spherical section and a lower section conforming to a median segment of a sphere and having a radius of curvature greater than that of the top semispherical section, the junction of said sections with each other lying in a horizontal plane and said dished bottom portion also being joined to the'upper portion in a horizontal plane spaced from the first mentioned plane, a girder at the junction of said sections, a second girder at the junction of the upper portion with the dished bottom, the spherical contour of said upper portion above the dished bottom being interrupted at the junction of the spherical sections with each other, and the diameter of said dished bottom portion being less than twice the radius of curvature of the lower section.

I CHARLES L. MARNER. 

